Coronavirus in Florida: Palm Beach couple remain trapped for 5th day on cruise ship in Brazil

William Kelly @pbtownreporter

Tuesday

Mar 17, 2020 at 2:38 PM

Brad and Susan Gary are among roughly 300 passengers confined to cabins on a cruise ship being held at a Brazilian port after a sick passenger tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

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Palm Beach residents Brad and Susan Gary have been confined to their cruise ship cabin for the fifth day Tuesday while the boat is held in isolation at a Brazilian port after a passenger tested positive for the COVID-19 disease.

The Garys are among the roughly 300 passengers on the Silversea line’s Silver Shadow, which left Buenos Aires Feb. 26 on a 30-day trip to Fort Lauderdale.

Susan Gary said Tuesday the couple is confined around the clock to their roughly 8-by-10-foot cabin, still without word from authorities on when they will be released. They were allowed to leave the room once — for an hour. The ship is docked in the Port of Recife, Brazil, which is 3,857 miles from Palm Beach.

RELATED: Coronavirus in Florida: Palm Beach woman is first town resident to test positive for COVID-19.

The captain has told passengers the cruise line is working with Brazilian authorities to "repatriate" the passengers as soon as possible, Susan Gary said.

"We have received no other information from the ship on when we might leave or how that would occur," she said.

She said she contacted the United States consulate in Brazil for help on Sunday but had not heard back as of Tuesday morning.

"That person indicated they were working to try and get us out but didn’t have any additional information. She merely said it would be soon. I reminded them that’s what the ship has been telling us," Susan Gary said.

A Canadian passenger was hospitalized and later tested positive for the virus after the ship arrived in the port in northeastern Brazil late last week, but another passenger who was hospitalized has tested negative, she said.

There is some good news. The captain told passengers there have been no additional instances of anyone on the ship falling ill or testing positive for COVID-19, Susan Gary said.

"For the past several days, the ship has had someone take everybody’s temperature each day," she said. "Apparently, there are no fevers."

She said she and her husband both "feel great" physically, but the long days of isolation are exacting a psychological toll.

The passengers were originally told they would be permitted to leave their cabins twice daily for brief periods of exercise. But that happened only once, for an hour Saturday morning, before the privilege was rescinded. Susan Gary seized the hour-long opportunity to load up on books from the ship’s library. The couple has limited television reception and intermittent internet access.

"It’s very unusual being trapped like this," she said. "I’ve never had that experience previously. I’ve been reading lots of books. You need to get your mind off of that. It’s a frightening sensation."

The Garys’ cabin does have a balcony. It currently faces the port, so the view isn’t great. But it does provide fresh air.

"Always get a room with a balcony," Susan Gary said.

As of Tuesday morning, the cabin crew is no longer permitted to clean the passengers’ rooms.

The food is good, but the 24-hour room service customary of cruise lines has been discontinued, and meals are now restricted to certain hours, she said.

The food service has been great and the staff should be commended for that, Susan Gary said.

"We open the door and they hand us the meals and the clean towels. They have not locked the doors on us. We have all been good prisoners," she said with a hearty laugh.